April Activities

 

It's hard to believe that another month has almost disappeared. I still haven't found a solution to the chronic shortage of time. Yet there have been some small steps forward at Philip's Creek.

I managed to finish off at least one job this month with the MFE now back in service. I am reasonably happy with the roof for the first attempt and the interior detail can withstand reasonably close scrutiny although that's not apparent from the photo.

Work on the silo has resumed and the cupola is now ready for painting. The silo is a LJ kit but with many surfaces overlaid with other materials almost to the extent of being a 3D version of 'paint by numbers'. For example, the cupola shown in the photo is substantially complete having be re-clad with scale CGI. I will give it a coat of grey primer shortly and start to weather individual sheets. The cupola has not yet been permanently fixed to the silos.I know there are probably easier ways of doing this but it's an interesting challenge. However, I do notice also that Kieran Ryan is selling a etched brass component kit that will make things a bit easier.

The backdrop painting has commenced and moves ahead in fits and starts. But I can't complain - it took 10 years for my wife to knit a sweater and she still hasn't finished her first novel yet and it was started six years ago. However, she is also very quick to remind me that Philip's Creek is not finished either and I have been working on it for over 15 years! Still very much a work in progress and there are still another about another six backdrops to go.

Another small project that has been started came about as a consequence of the withdrawal of the CPH from service. I had constructed a small platform on a siding at the Colliery for the use of the mine employees. The CPH would then do a shuttle run from the mine through Philip's Creek and on to Mount Windeatt. With the loss of the CPH. I decided to relocate the platform to the closest point on the main line.

The existing platform will remain for freight and equipment delivered to the mine. Incidentally, the container to the right of the photo is a product that I purchased quite a few years ago from an art supplier for use as a platform surface. It contains a sandstone coloured paste with a black fleck that gives a reasonable representation of the fine gravel surface that I recall on some platforms in earlier years.

I have also recently purchased a EHO guards van and will probably be tempted to start building that kit sometime soon, probably to the detriment of progress on the silo.

And speaking of building things.....



"I wish the bloke who built this place had done a better job, he couldn't get the awning right and I'm always having to fix something!"